Staff in the early days

Doctors

The original medical team was small. There were two resident doctors (the Medical Superintendent and the Assistant Resident Medical Officer) and six visiting consultants, including Dr Ebenezer Duncan who had worked hard to set up the hospital.

Consultants were not paid for their work at the hospital. Their incomes came from the private patients they saw in the afternoons.

Nurses

The nurses were managed by the Matron, Miss Ross, who had previously worked at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. Her team was made up of four sisters, four staff nurses, three night nurses and four student nurses.

The ancillary team

A small number of staff did the cleaning, cooking and portering.

The Medical Superintendent managed the male servants. These included a janitor, a night porter, an errand boy and a gatekeeper.

Matron managed twelve female servants who did the domestic work. She inspected the wards, kitchens and other areas every day.

Living and working at the Victoria

Almost all the staff lived in the hospital and their lives were governed by strict rules.

In the first few years many staff left because of this. Others, such as an ‘extravagant and unsatisfactory’ cook were fired.

Soon life settled down into a routine that lasted for many years.

Until 1918 nurses at the Victoria worked a 65 hour week. Today they work 37½ hours a week.